Knockeen - big painting in progress

Although I had planned to have the big painting, Knockeen, finished by the end of June, I realised there were a lot of details that I wanted to add. I began the painting in February of this year and have been working on it steadily since then. To see the painting progress from its beginnings till now, check out earlier blogs here, here and here. I still want to keep my painting loose and I extended my personal deadline to concentrate entirely on some details. For instance, I wanted to define some of the leafy areas arouond the wild rose petals.

And though I have no intention of painting every leaf on the fuschia bushes, I want a few leaves to stand out, so I sketched some in.

Here are more leaves getting a bit more definition.

I also wanted the blackberry leaves to be more definitive and used several different green mixes to make them so.

This is just another detail showing how the wild rose leaves differ from the blackberry leaves.

While not finished I am happy with the way things are looking with this painting and am continuing to concentrate on finalising some details. This painting will be one of those featured in Memory Is My Homeland, my exhibition of paintings and prints at Rathfarnham Castle, Dublin next spring (mid-Feb to the end of March 2022). In 2019 I discussed the concept of the work for this exhibition here and the beginnings of this project here.

Maritime Alps - details

I am enjoying being back to work on the triptych I started before breaking for Christmas. I thought I would post a few in progress details. This is a closeup of an area of foreground rock with sea behind.

The background mountains and the top of the mother figure's head.

A detail of the mother figure reaching for her young son on the rocks.

And a detail of the other two climbing figures, where the view of the landscape is still apparent.

Of course, it has all changed (though not "utterly") as these are pictures from yesterday and I was up in the studio painting this morning! Happy days!